When Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Spider-Man back in the 60s they also introduced some of the most classic adversaries of the arachnid superhero. One of them was Kraven, the Hunter, a mysterious man from Russia who had turned hunting into his life passion. Challenged to hunt Spider-Man, Kraven knows defeat for the first time, and throughout the years, he would reappear only to be defeated again.
However, in the brilliant saga Kraven’s Last Hunt, J.M. DeMatteis decided to delve deep into the personality of the Hunter. What was his history? What turned him into a man obsessed with hunting? And above all, how could he finally find the way to defeat Spider-Man? This 6-issue arc is a dark and nightmarish tale, with an unprecedented level of maturity that certainly took the entire comic book industry by surprise back in 1987 (and very different in tone to DeMatteis’ critically acclaimed run on Justice League). There is a reason why it’s considered one of the best Spider-Man stories ever written, and even 30 years after its publication it remains just as shocking and impressive.
In addition to DeMatteis’ fascinating script, artist Mike Zeck surprises us with beautiful art and a careful panel distribution that takes into account symmetry with a unique sense of design and elegance. Page after page, the art complements and enhances the words of the writer, creating an amazing and cohesive visual narrative that completely captures the reader’s attention.
Kraven |
Peter Parker |
Not too long after this ominous moment, Kraven will put aside his classic gadgets, and with a simple hunting rifle he shoots Spider-Man, takes his body and buries him. But that’s not the end of Kraven’s plan, it’s merely the beginning. He dons the mantle of the spider, he effectively becomes Spider-Man. His goal is to prove he can be a more powerful, a more efficient Spider-Man than the original one. And it is under this false identity that Kraven will fight against Vermin in “Crawling” (Amazing Spider-Man # 293, October 1987) and “Descent” (Spectacular Spider-Man # 131, October 1987).
Becoming the spider / convirtiéndose en la araña |
In “Resurrection” (Web of Spider-Man # 32, November 1987), “Spider-Man finally awakens from his drug-induced coma and busts out of his coffin”. Once again, Mike Zeck proves why he was one of the most talented artists in the 80s, by providing a couple of pages in which Peter Parker finds himself floating in an empty space; the splash page of Spider-Man punching his way out of the tomb is a very powerful image.
The nightmare has just begun / la pesadilla recién ha comenzado |
The final confrontation between Kraven and Spider-Man takes place in the pages of “Thunder” (Amazing Spider-Man # 294, November 1987). But this isn’t the usual fight between a superhero and a supervillain. Kraven bares his soul at the same time that he removes his spider costume and, for the last time, wears the animal skins that forged his reputation as a hunter. Kraven literally saves Spider-Man’s life when he is unable to subdue Vermin. The hero doesn’t understand the actions of a man who had been his sworn enemy for such a long time. And Kraven announces “After all these years, you surely know that I’m a man of my word-- and I give you my word: from this night forward, Kraven the Hunter-- will never hunt again”. Spider-Man’s instincts tell him that Kraven is telling the truth, but without understanding the real meaning of that promise he immediately goes down the sewers to track down Vermin, promising Kraven that he’ll be back. But he won’t. At least not in time. “Once Kraven is alone, he completes his final hunt in horrendous fashion”. There is nothing left in Kraven’s life, and thus suicide seems to be the only possible alternative. That’s why “At the time of its publication, this issue generated considerable controversy due to Kraven’s violent death by his own hands”.
The final chapter, “Ascending” (Spectacular Spider-Man # 132, November 1987) brings about the bittersweet conclusion. Spider-Man is able to reestablish himself as the savior of New York, but at the same time, he suspects he won’t ever see Kraven again. He doesn’t know it yet, but the hunter has killed himself, thus honoring his word: he will never hunt again. And if heroes need villains to define themselves, what happens once the villain commits suicide?
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Héroes y villanos tienen una extraña relación. Para definirse a sí mismos, deben encontrar a su opuesto: luz y oscuridad, día y noche, fuego y hielo, etc. Sin embargo, también se necesitan mutuamente porque ningún héroe está completo sin villanos y ningún villano estaría satisfecho sin un héroe al que atacar. En términos simples, un protagonista solitario sería aburrido, necesitamos un antagonista.
Kraven & Vermin |
Sin embargo, en la brillante saga La última cacería de Kraven, J. M. DeMatteis decidió profundizar en la personalidad del cazador. ¿Cuál era su historia? ¿Qué lo convirtió en un hombre obsesionado con la cacería? Y, sobre todo, ¿cómo podría finalmente encontrar el modo para derrotar a Spider-Man? Este arco de 6 números es un relato oscuro, propio de una pesadilla, con un nivel de madurez sin precedentes que ciertamente tomó por sorpresa a toda la industria del cómic en 1987 (y muy diferente en tono a la aclamada etapa de DeMatteis en Justice League). Hay una razón por la que se considera una de las mejores historias de Spider-Man alguna vez escritas, e incluso 30 años después de su publicación sigue siendo igual de impactante e impresionante.
Can Peter Parker come back from limbo? / ¿Puede Peter Parker regresar del limbo? |
En la escena inicial de "El ataúd" (originalmente publicado en Web of Spider-Man # 31, octubre de 1987), vemos a Kraven abrazando el lado salvaje de su naturaleza. Finalmente ha tomado una decisión, una que tendrá consecuencias trágicas. Para matar a la araña, se convertirá en la araña. En una magnífica secuencia dibujada con maestría por Mike Zeck y maravillosamente entintada por Bob McLeod, vemos a Kraven devorando arañas violentamente, al mismo tiempo que Peter Parker se despierta de una pesadilla y entiende que su vida corre peligro.
Resurrection / resurrección |
Kraven & Spider-Man |
En "Resurrección" (Web of Spider-Man # 32, noviembre de 1987), "Spider-Man finalmente se despierta de su coma inducido por las drogas y sale de su ataúd". Una vez más, Mike Zeck demuestra por qué era uno de los artistas más talentosos de los 80s, al proporcionar un par de páginas en las que Peter Parker se encuentra flotando en un espacio vacío; la página en la que Spider-Man sale de la tumba, es una imagen muy poderosa.
Kraven shoots himself / Kraven se pega un tiro |
Kraven's childhood / la infancia de Kraven |
It is the villains who bring out the best in a hero and vice versa. Was this one of those rare cases where they didn't bring Kraven back?
ReplyDeleteI wish. But you know how things are in Marvel and DC. After a decade or so, some editor will have the "brilliant" idea to reboot everything and bring everyone back to life.
DeleteThis was a great post! I had forgotten about Kraven.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!
DeletePara mi uno de los Mejores cómics de Marvel que he leído (y tal vez el mejor de la araña, también me gusto mucho la miniserie con Black Cat que escribió Kevin Smith "el mal que hacen los hombres").
ReplyDeleteLa primera vez que leí el cómic recuerdo quedar impactado debido a lo compleja y adulta de la trama, así como también de las consecuencias que esto genera en los personajes que la protagonizan (y obviamente el dibujo de Mike Zeck, el cual honestamente he perdido la pita en sus siguientes trabajos).
En definitiva una de esas historias que al finalizarlas sientes que acabas de terminar de leer el final de una "era" o de un personaje, digo esto porque la "resurrección" del personaje de Kraven posteriormente, por muy bien dibujada y narrada que este, me parece apócrifa.
Estoy de acuerdo contigo, es uno de los mejores cómics de Spider-Man. Y el arte de Mike Zeck es insuperable en esta saga. Espero que te esté yendo bien en Lima y que no padezcas con el calor, me dicen que el verano está muy fuerte. Quizás vaya de visita a mediados de año.
DeleteEste es uno de los mejores de Spider-Man en cuanto a ambientación seria y siniestra se refiere, junto con otros como Carnage: It's a Wonderful Life, y la saga de Judas Traveller tomando Ravencroft por la fuerza y secuestrando a Peter.
ReplyDeleteSí, este es un clásico. Me encantó !!
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